Memory indicia system for an optical rifle scope and a method for forming an individual alignment range in an optical scope

ABSTRACT

The memory indicia system allows to make a distinctive alignment range on an optical scope of a firearm. The system comprises a basic indicia indicator, which is to be attached to the alignment turret of an optical scope, and one or more additional indicia components to be attached on the basic indicia indicator. Both the basic indicia indicator and additional indicia component have at least a range value indicating the alignment distance, an alignment mark, and a cartridge code as indication of the type of cartridge used. The basic indicia indicator and the additional indicia component are film-like components the one side of which has a film adhesive covered by a removable protective film. The components are attached to the rim of the optical scope&#39;s alignment turret after the firearm has been aligned. The memory indicia system also comprises a separate cartridge item indicator to be attached to a cartridge box.

The object of the invention is a memory indicia system for forming anindividual alignment range in an optical scope. The object of theinvention is also a method of forming an individual alignment range inan optical scope, wherein there is an alignment turret and a fixed pointin relation to which the position of the alignment turret can bedetermined.

The distance of a bullet shot with a firearm in normal conditions iscurved down-ward due to the influence of gravity on bullets. The curveof the bullet's distance depends, in practice, on the speed, weight, andshape, etc., of the shot bullet as well as whether the firearm is shotupward or downward. The most common optical scopes for firearms areadjusted such that the center of the point of aim of the optical scopeand the points of impact of the shot bullet are in the same place on thetarget at a given distance. Usually optical scopes have their ownalignments both in the horizontal and vertical directions from which theoptical scope is aligned with the center of the bullets' points ofimpact. If the firearm is shot at a distance different from that towhich it is being aimed at the moment, then the marksman must aim at thetarget upward or downward to ensure the impact is at the desired point.Estimating the magnitude to which the point of aim should be raised orlowered is difficult even though the distance has been measured orestimated correctly. It is specifically the difference between thedistance of the bullet and the point of aim that determines themagnitude to which the point of aim is raised or lowered. If the shooteris not familiar with this difference or fails to consider it, then theshot bullet may miss the target completely. The possible magnituderatio, which enlarges the target when looking through the optical scope,may make the estimation of the extent to which the point of aim shouldbe raised or lowered more difficult.

If cartridges, which have a different distance to which the firearm andoptical scope were previously aligned, are shot with the same firearmthen the firearm's optical scope must be aligned again whereby theprevious alignment disappears.

Alignment is done in the ordinary way by shooting test shots in thedesired distance after which the optical scope is adjusted to the properposition from the alignment turrets according to instructions. If thealignment is not made according to the cartridge to be shot, then it ispossible that the bullet will completely miss the desired target.

If the firearm has not been used for a long time, it is difficult toremember to which cartridge the firearm has last been aligned.Essentially, the cartridge to which the firearm has been originallyaligned should subsequently be used. Many shooters reload the cartridgesthey use themselves and there may be many different types for the samefirearm.

There are optical scopes on the market that have a compensating controlto adjust the distance of the bullet. Many of the controls are fixed andthe alignment values are averages for given calibers, and therefore theycannot be precisely adjusted for the distance of the cartridge beingused. EP1769213 presents an optical scope that has a memory ring(s) ontowhich the previous alignment can be saved. The memory ring usually worksreliably for only one distance, cartridge, and barrel at a time, and itcan only be used for scopes designed exclusively for it. This type ofmemory ring cannot be used with ordinary scopes, which have not beendesigned for use with this memory ring.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,137 describes a distance compensating device, whichincludes an indicia carrying strip upon which fixed indicator marks havebeen made, whereby the shooter is unable to easily change the indicatormarks or their location to suit his own the firearm, scope, orcartridge. Every firearm and cartridge combination possesses its ownindividual ballistic distance for which reason the invention describedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,137 is not practical. It can only be used in acertain type of firearm, the ballistic speed and distance of which hasbeen calculated beforehand. Because the afore-mentioned information isdistinct and firearm-specific, it cannot be generalized that the saidinformation would suit other firearms and scopes well.

The aim of the present invention is to introduce a memory indicia systemfor an ordinary optical scope with which a firearm and optical scope canbe easily and reliably realigned to several previously aligned distancesand types of cartridges without having to perform new alignment shots.

The afore-mentioned problems can be eliminated and the previouslydefined goals can be achieved using a memory indicator system and methodcharacterized in what is presented in the independent claims. Somepreferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependentclaims.

The object of the invention is a memory indicator system with which theshooter of a firearm can easily form an individual alignment range in anoptical scope attached to a firearm. The memory indicia system comprisesa basic indicia indicator attached to the alignment turret of theoptical scope and one or more additional indicia components attached ontop of the basic indicia indicator. Both the basic indicia indicator andthe additional indicia components have at least a range value, whichindicates the alignment distance, and an alignment mark. The range valuedescribes the numerical value of the firearm's alignment distance, i.e.the distance from the muzzle of the barrel to the target. The alignmentmark is a mark which is placed at the point of a fixed or drawn mark onthe saddle of the scope, when the firearm is being aligned. Using thealignment mark, the alignment turret can be precisely restored back tothe point defined beforehand.

In one preferred embodiment of the memory indicia system, according tothe invention, the basic indicia indicator and additional indiciacomponents further have a cartridge code, descriptive of the cartridgeused in alignment. As is known, different types of cartridges can have adifferent distance and therefore aligning them to the same distancerequires that different settings be made to the scope.

In a second preferred embodiment of the memory indicia system, accordingto the invention, the range value, alignment mark and cartridge codeappear as graphic notations distinct from the background of the basicindicia indicator. The said graphic notations are rectangular, square,triangular or circular or a combination of these in shape. The saidgraphic notations may also comprise numbers and/or letters.

In a third preferred embodiment of the memory indicia system, accordingto the invention, the basic indicia indicator and additional indiciacomponents are film-like components, on the one surface of which is afilm adhesive covered with removable protective film. Therefore, thebasic indicia indicator and the additional indicia components are readyto be attached after the protective film has been removed.

In a fourth preferred embodiment of the memory indicia system, accordingto the invention, the basic indicia indicator and additional indiciacomponents are layered in the rim or on top of the alignment turrets onthe optical scope. Preferably, the basic indicia indicator andadditional indicia components are made of a transparent material. Thistransparency allows all of the notations to be identified even if thebasic indicia and additional indicia either completely or partiallycover each other.

In a fifth preferred embodiment of the memory indicia system, accordingto the invention, there is also a separate cartridge item indicator thathas the same cartridge code as on the basic indicia indicator andadditional indicia components, which can be attached to the cartridgebox. Thanks to the cartridge item indicator, the user of the firearmknows what cartridges have been used to align the firearm.

In the method according to the invention, a distinct alignment range iscreated on the optical scope. To create the range, the scope should havea rotating alignment turret and the saddle should have a fixed point,the relation to which the position of the rim of the alignment turretcan be determined. The method involves first choosing the first distanceto which the firearm is to be aligned. The alignment distance can be,for example, 100 meters. The firearm is aligned to the chosen distanceaccording to the instructions of the scope's manufacturer, i.e. thescope's reticle is moved to the center of the bullets' point of impact.Alignment usually requires the elevation of the scope's reticle, whichis done by turning the height alignment turret. When the firearm isaligned at the chosen distance, the basic indicia indicator, which hasat least the range value indicating the alignment distance and thealignment mark, is attached to the alignment turret on the opticalscope. The basic indicia indicator is attached in place such that thealignment mark on it is positioned at the fixed point on the opticalscope. At least one other desired distance to be aligned is subsequentlychosen and the firearm is aligned at the chosen distance in thepreviously described way. After alignment, the additional indiciacomponent, which has at least the range value indicating the alignmentdistance and the alignment mark, is attached to the alignment turret onthe optical scope. It is attached such that the alignment mark of theadditional indicia component is positioned at the fixed point on theoptical scope. If the shooter wishes to align the firearm to otheralignment distances, then the phase described above is repeated for eachdistance. After the alignments have been made, the scope has a distinctalignment range with which the shooter can quickly align the scope tothe desired distance aligned beforehand. Preferably, basic indiciaindicator and additional indicia components, which also have a cartridgecode describing the cartridge used in alignment, are used in the method.Thanks to the cartridge code, the user of the firearm knows immediatelywhat cartridges have been used to align the firearm and knows how tochoose the correct cartridges for shooting.

In a preferred embodiment of the memory indicia system, according to theinvention, the basic indicia indicator and additional indicia componentsare layered in the rim or on top of the alignment turrets on the opticalscope. Preferably, the basic indicia indicator and additional indiciacomponents are film-like components which are attached in place with thefilm adhesive on them.

One of the most important advantages of the invention is that a distinctdistance memory alignment is possible to use with the most commonoptical scopes on the market without needing special tools, calculationsor methods. The memory indicia indicator can be adjusted to function onthe firearm and cartridge in question at the desired distance. Thememory indicia indicator also makes it possible to align other suitabletypes of cartridges for the firearm at the same time, whereupon usinganother cartridge type tested beforehand does not require realignment ofthe optical scope; rather, the alignment can be restored to the valuetested beforehand if so desired.

The following are detailed descriptions of the invention with referenceto the attached illustrations, wherein

FIG. 1 illustrates the memory indicia system, according to theinvention, from the isometric direction of view, attached to the rim ofrotating axle of the alignment turret on the optical scope, having themarkings according to the example,

FIG. 1 a illustrates, from the isometric direction of view, thecartridge item indicator associated with the memory indicia system ofthe optical scope, according to the invention attached to the cartridgebox, having the markings according to the example,

FIG. 2 illustrates, from the isometric direction of view, the memoryindicia system, according to the invention whereby the differentcomponents of the systern have been separated from each other and,

FIG. 2 a illustrates, from the isometric direction of view, thecartridge item indicator associated with the memory indicia system ofthe optical scope, according to the invention, whereby the cartridgeitem indicator is detached from the cartridge box.

The memory indicia indicator according to the invention comprises abasic indicia indicator 2 and/or one or more additional indiciacomponents 3, 4. The indicia are attached on top of or in the rim of thealignment turrets 5 of an optical scope, such as a rifle scope 1, to beattached to a firearm. Rifle scopes are as such a well-known type ofoptical scope, which have two alignment turrets for aligning the scope.The alignment turret on top of the rifle scope is used to move thescope's sighting point in a horizontal direction and the alignmentturret on the side of the scope is used to move the scope's sightingpoint in a vertical direction. The optical scope illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2, by way of example, is a rifle scope. The invention is not,however, limited to be used with rifle scopes only; rather, it can beused in all optical scopes that have at least one alignment turret formoving the scope's sighting point. The optical scope itself does notbelong to the scope of this invention and therefore the function andstructure of it will not be explained in any detail herein.

The film-like component of the basic indicia indicator 2 can be in theshape of a circle, rectangle, square, parallelogram, or a combination ofthese. The base material for the basic indicia indicator can be eithercompletely transparent or non-transparent or it may constitute oftransparent and non-transparent portions. The outer dimensions of thebasic indicia indicator are a little smaller than the length and heightof the rim of the alignment turret on the optical scope. The range value8 and the cartridge code 9 indicating the used cartridge, possiblycomprising letters, numbers, symbols or a combination of these, areindicated on the basic indicia indicator clearly differentiated from thebase material. The markings in question may be indicated in differentcolors whereby they are easy to distinguish from each other. FIGS. 1 and2 illustrate, by way of example, the distance with a numerical value of100 and the letter X as the cartridge code. The alignment mark 11 islocated under or adjacent to the distance and the cartridge code on thebasic indicia indicator. It may be a dot, line or other clearlydistinctive geometric shape. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate, by way ofexample, the alignment mark as an arrow pointing downward. The distanceand cartridge code as well as the alignment mark 11 may be located atdifferent heights on the basic indicia indicator 2. In this case, itmust be ensured they are joined together with a line connecting themarks or, for example, with the same colors. An indication 13 denotingthe direction of alignment of the alignment turret 5 may be located onthe basic indicia indicator 2, which facilitates the alignment of theoptical scope. The symbol indicating the direction of alignmentillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the shape of a triangle, the one tip ofwhich indicates the direction of rotation of the alignment turret.

When the firearm is aligned to the distance and cartridge indicated bythe distance 8 and cartridge code 9 on the basic indicia indicator 2,according to the instructions of the manufacturer of the optical scope,the basic indicia indicator 2 is attached on top of the alignment turretof the optical scope. The basic indicia indicator 2 is positioned on therim of the alignment turret 5 such that the alignment symbol 11 is atthe point of the fixed mark 6 located on the optical scope's saddle 1.Usually the saddle of the optical scope already has a fixed mark, whichhelps in determining the rotating position of the alignment turrets. Ifthe optical scope does not include a fixed mark such as this, it can bemade with a marker, for example. The basic indicia indicator 2 isattached on top of the alignment turrets 5 with glue. The other side ofthe basic indicia indicator already has a transparent film adhesive onit for attaching the basic indicia indicator. The film adhesive iscovered with a removable protective film, which is removed just beforeattaching the basic indicia indicator. The glue on the film adhesive issoft and sticker-like, which allows the basic indicia indicator 2 to beattached and detached many different times.

After the attachment of the basic indicia indicator, alignment can beperformed for another desired distance. The memory indicia systemaccording to the invention comprises a number of additional indiciacomponents 3, 4 whereon the distance, cartridge code and alignmentsymbol are indicated with graphic symbols as with the basic indicia.When the firearm and optical scope have been aligned by adjusting thealignment turrets to the distance indicated by the additional indicia,the additional indicia component is attached onto the alignment turreton top of the basic indicia indicator 2 or directly on the surface ofthe elevating alignment turret 5. The alignment symbol 11 of theadditional indicia component is placed at the point of the fixed mark 6on the optical scope's saddle 1. The material of the additional indiciacomponents 3, 4 is transparent enabling the previous alignment valuesunder the additional indicia to be read even though the additionalindicia may cover the basic indicia partially or completely. Theadditional indicia components may be of equal size and/or shape as thebasic indicia indicator 2, or their size and/or shape may deviate fromthe basic indicia indicator. The additional indicia components 3, 4 areattached on top of the basic indicia indicator 2 or the alignment turret5 of the optical scope using the film adhesive on the other surface ofthe additional indicia component. The additional indicia components arethus film-like components like the basic indicia indicator with a filmadhesive covered with a removable protective film ready on one side. Thefeatures of the adhesive correspond to those of the adhesive on thebasic indicia indicator. Alignment of the firearm can continue asdescribed above for other desired distances as needed. The memoryindicia system according to the invention comprises additional indiciacomponents whereon the range values and cartridge codes are alreadyindicated for several different alignment distances and types ofcartridges.

The firearm's alignment can be restored to the distances on the memoryindicia indicator tested beforehand at a later time. The alignment isrestored to a certain distance by adjusting the optical scope's 1alignment turrets such that the alignment mark 11 in the indiciacorresponding to the distance 8 and the cartridge symbol 9 moves to thepoint of the fixed mark 6 on the optical scope's saddle 1. The symbolindicating the adjustment direction 13 assists in remembering thedirection of rotation of the alignment turret. The additional indiciamay be located in a different order because they are transparent andtherefore can be seen although they are one upon the other in differentlayers. When the basic indicia indicator and additional indiciacomponents have been put in place, they form a distinctive alignmentrange in the optical scope. The alignment range facilitates in restoringthe alignment of the firearm and cartridge to previously aligneddistances at a later time.

The memory indicia system according to the invention also comprises acartridge item indicator 7 which is to be attached to the cartridge box10. The cartridge item indicator is a film-like component the onesurface of which has a film adhesive covered with a removable protectivefilm. The other side of the cartridge item indicator has graphic symbolson it, which facilitate the identification of the cartridges in thecartridge box. These graphic symbols comprise at least a cartridge code9, which is thus the same code as the cartridge code used in the basicindicia indicator 2 and additional indicia components 3, 4. Thecartridge item indicator may also contain additional information, in theform of text 12, about the cartridges in the cartridge box. Preferably,the cartridge item indicator in made of paper whereupon the shooter canwrite additional notes on the one side of its surface.

When the firearm is aligned, the protective film on the film adhesive isremoved and the cartridge item indicator 7 is attached on the cartridgebox 10 such that the markings 9, 12 on the cartridge item indicator arevisible. The markings 9 on the cartridge box are the same symbols andcolors as on the basic indicia indicator 2 and the additional indiciacomponents 3, 4. In this way, the shooter is able to easily find thecartridge box that contains the cartridges used in alignment.

The memory indicia indicator according to the invention is used asfollows, for example: The firearm and optical scope are aligned to a100-meter distance, for example. When the alignment has beensuccessfully made to the distance in question, the basic indiciaindicator 2 is attached to the rim of the optical scope's horizontal andvertical alignment turrets 5. The basic indicia indicator 2 has thenumber 100 on it, which denotes the range value 8, and the letter Xdenoting the cartridge code 9. The basic indicia indicator 2 ispositioned such that the alignment symbol 11 on it corresponding to eachrange value 8 and cartridge code 9 is placed at the point of the fixedmark 6 on the optical scope's saddle 1. The basic indicia indicator 2 isattached in place on the alignment turret 5 with sticker-like adhesive.The basic indicia indicator attached in place indicates to the shooterthat when the alignment symbol of the basic indicia is at the point ofthe fixed mark 6, then the firearm is aligned at a range of 100 m whenusing cartridges, the code of which is X.

Next an alignment will be made for a distance of 200 m, for example,using the same cartridges, the code of which is X. When the alignmenthas been made for the 200-m distance in question by adjusting theoptical scope's 1 elevating alignment turret 5, additional indiciacomponent 3, which indicates the letter X as the cartridge code 9 andthe number 200 as the range value 8, is put in place. The additionalindicia component is glued on the basic indicia indicator 2 such thatthe alignment symbol 11 on it, which corresponds to the range value of200 and the cartridge code of X, is placed at the point of the fixedmark 6 on the optical scope's saddle 1. The additional indicia areattached to its component with the soft, sticker-like adhesive on theone side of the additional indicia component. The firearm can be alignedto several distances desired by the user in a corresponding way, and anadditional indicia component is attached to the alignment turret foreach distance. The shooter's desired number of additional indiciacomponents can be placed on the alignment turret.

When the shooter wants to restore the firearm's alignment to the desireddistance and type of cartridge, e.g. 100 m for cartridge type X, theoptical scope's horizontal or vertical alignment turret 5 is turned suchthat the alignment symbol corresponding to cartridge code X and rangevalue 100 is moved to the point of the fixed mark 6 on the opticalscope's saddle 1. When adjusting the optical scope's vertical alignmentturret 5, the shooter must know the direction in which to adjust it.Determining the direction of adjustment is easy from the range andcartridge indications on the memory indicia indicator 2 as well as thesymbol 13 indicating the direction of adjustment. When alignments havebeen carefully made and the memory indicia indicator properly placed,the alignment can be restored back to the previously tested rangesindicated by the memory indicia indicator. The memory indicia indicatoraccording to the invention also works when a cartridge with a differentdistance in used in the firearm.

The cartridge code 9 on the memory indicia indicator can be used todetermine for which type of cartridge the symbol in question isintended. A cartridge type, the code 9 of which is indicated with theletter X, is used on the basic indicia indicator and the additionalindicia components illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the firearm isaligned for other cartridges, other graphic symbols are used on thebasic indicia indicator and the additional indicia components, e.g. Y.The additional indicia with the cartridge code Y can be attached on topof the previous codes X. The additional indicia are made of atransparent, film-like material, which allows the previously attachedsymbols under the new symbols to be read. The cartridge type can also beindicated by color whereby each cartridge type has its own colorwherefrom one can determine what cartridges and alignment values in thememory indicia indicator belong together.

If changing the cartridge type also requires a vertical change in thealignment of the optical scope, then a corresponding memory indicium canbe placed correspondingly in the vertical alignment turret. When thefirearm has been aligned in the way described above, the cartridge itemindicator 7, which has the same cartridge code 9 comprising letters,symbols and/or colors or their combination, is attached to the cartridgebox or case. This ensures that the shooter is able to remember that thecartridge type in question has been used in alignment. The basic indiciaindicator and the additional indicia components may have other symbols.These include, for example, wind correction adjustment scales, which canbe made the same way as the distance indications described above.

Some preferred embodiments of the memory indicia system according to theinvention have been described above. The invention is not exclusivelylimited to the described solutions; but the inventive idea can beapplied in numerous ways within the scope defined by the claims.

1. A memory indicia system for making a distinctive alignment range onan optical scope, which memory indicia system comprises a basic indiciaindicator to be attached to the alignment turret of an optical scope andone or more additional indicia components to be attached on the basicindicia indicator, which basic indicia indicator and additional indiciacomponents comprise at least a range value indicating the alignmentdistance and an alignment mark.
 2. A memory indicia system according toclaim 1, wherein the basic indicia indicator and additional indiciacomponents further comprise a cartridge code as indication of thecartridge used in alignment.
 3. A memory indicia system according toclaim 2, wherein the range value, alignment mark and cartridge code aregraphic symbols that are differentiated from the background of the basicindicia indicator.
 4. A memory indicia system according to claim 3,wherein said graphic symbols are in the form of parallelograms, squares,triangles, circles or a combination of these shapes.
 5. A memory indiciasystem according to claim 3, wherein the said graphic symbols constitutenumbers and/or letters.
 6. A memory indicia system according to claim 1,wherein the basic indicia and the additional indicia are film-likecomponents the one surface of which has a film adhesive covered by aremovable protective film.
 7. A memory indicia system according to claim1, wherein the basic indicia and additional indicia may be layered onthe rim or on top of the alignment turret on the optical scope.
 8. Amemory indicia system according to claim 1, wherein the basic indiciaindicator and additional indicia component are made of transparentmaterial.
 9. A memory indicia system according to claim 2, which furthercomprises a cartridge item indicator, which has the same cartridge codeas the basic indicia indicator and/or the additional indicia components,to be attached onto a separate cartridge box.
 10. A memory indiciasystem according to claim 9, wherein the cartridge item indicator is afilm-like component, the one surface of which has a film adhesivecovered with a removable protective film.
 11. A method for making adistinctive alignment range in an optical scope having an alignmentturret and fixed mark, in which method a first distance is chosen towhich the shooter wishes to align the firearm and the firearm is alignedto the chosen distance, a basic indicia indicator comprising at least arange value that indicates the alignment distance and an alignment mark,is attached to the alignment turret of an optical scope such that thealignment mark of the basic indicia indicator is placed at the fixedpoint of the optical scope, at least one other distance is chosen towhich the shooter wishes to align the firearm and the firearm is alignedto the chosen distance, an additional indicia component comprising atleast a range value that indicates the alignment distance and analignment mark, is attached to the alignment turret of an optical scopesuch that the alignment mark of the additional indicia component isplaced at the fixed point of the optical scope.
 12. A method accordingto claim 11, wherein basic indicia and additional indicia are used thathave a cartridge code as indication of the type of cartridge used inalignment.
 13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the basic indiciaand additional indicia are layered in the rim or on top of the alignmentturret of the optical scope.
 14. A method according to claim 11 whereinthe basic indicia and additional indicia are film-like components, whichare attached in place with the film adhesive on them.